Let’s get something out of the way: I am not a tech guru. But I’ve spent enough time working alongside IT departments to know one thing: too many vendors make everything harder than it needs to be.
And I’m not talking about just a little harder, like trying to fold a fitted sheet (impossible). I mean soul-crushing, “why-is-everyone-on-edge,” “who-do-we-call-for-this-again?” level of chaos. So, what happens when you simplify IT by consolidating vendors?
Step 1: Realize You’ve Got a Vendor Zoo on Your Hands
Does this sound like you? There is a flowchart on the wall that looks like a spider web of vendor logos and service agreements. It can be horrifying. Apparently, each service has a different vendor: email, cloud storage, security, and coffee machine firmware (yep, even that). No one can remember which company to call for which problem. It’s like asking a barista for directions in a foreign language — nobody can get their cappuccino or their IT problem solved.
So, have you ever wondered, “Why not just have fewer vendors?” It can be a revelation. Of course, if you voice this revolutionary idea to IT, they may stare at you like you’ve just asked them to reinstall the internet.
Step 2: Say Goodbye to Vendor Speed-Dating
It turns out, managing multiple vendors is like speed-dating at a tech convention. You have to deal with contracts, negotiations, endless updates, and finger-pointing when something inevitably breaks (and something always breaks).
Eventually, you may decide to consider vendor consolidation, which is tech speak for “stop dating around and find a serious relationship.” It’s like committing to the one reliable service provider who’ll be there when everything goes wrong… and it will.
Step 3: The Tech Buffet is Overrated
The next time something breaks (and let’s be honest, it will likely be the printer), you can pose a philosophical question to your IT staff: “Do we really need this buffet of services from 20 different vendors? Couldn’t we just go à la carte?”
Time for the blank stares. Apparently, “buffet” is not a recognized IT term. But press on! Explain that if you consolidated services under fewer providers, you wouldn’t have to juggle ten different dashboards, billing systems, and customer service reps who could give us entirely different answers for the same question. I mean, simplicity is the real MVP here, right?
Step 4: Stop Playing Vendor Therapist
The best part about consolidation? Less vendor drama. I know you’ve been there - every time something goes wrong, Vendor A says, “That’s not on us, that’s Vendor B’s problem.” Vendor B would pass the buck to Vendor C, and before you know it, you’re in a three-hour call that makes you feel like an IT therapist.
So, once you get there, instead of playing referee between vendors, IT can focus on actual tech things, like resetting our passwords after the 100th “Forgot Password” incident of the week.
Step 5: Enjoy the Bliss of Simplified Billing
The hidden gem of vendor consolidation: fewer invoices. No more deciphering billing statements from a dozen different companies, each with their own creative interpretation of “service fees.” Just one neat little bill, like the adult version of finally getting one clean laundry pile instead of digging through the chair-clothes mountain in your bedroom.
Step 6: Bask in the Glow of IT's Gratitude (Or At Least Their Reluctant Tolerance)
Can you be a hero to IT for helping streamline their vendor relationships? Probably not. They’re likely just happy you stopped asking why the "any key" doesn’t exist on your keyboard. But now, they have fewer headaches, fewer contracts to manage, and fewer instances of trying to remember which vendor holds the magic keys to our software dungeon. Honestly, you can take that as a win.
Conclusion: Fewer Vendors, More Happiness
In the end, you didn’t need to be a tech genius to simplify life for your IT group. You just needed common sense and the ability to nag—sorry, strategically suggest—that we stop treating IT vendors like an all-you-can-eat buffet. By consolidating vendors, you’re saving time, money, and a few strands of hair that might have been lost in the chaos.
Who knows, maybe one day IT will stop looking at you like you’re about to ask if they’ve tried turning it off and on again.
LRS can help you consolidate your IT vendors with a wide range of services, infrastructure, software, and solutions like IT automation, security, AI, analytics and more. Our teams have decades of experience and the technical knowledge to provide much of what you really need. All in one place.